Today as we celebrate Labor Day, I can't help but think about why we celebrate this holiday. Labor Day was first made a federal holiday by President Grover Cleveland in 1894, although it was being recognized a decade earlier. It is a holiday to celebrate the hard work of people that help build up our country. It was to celebrate the factory workers, the railroad workers, the farmers, the ranchers, teachers, fishermen, all that contributed to making our country great and strong.

Today, many of us think it is just a day to have a three-day weekend, or a reason for a BBQ. But I can't help but think should Christians be celebrating a holiday that is about our own works? In Numbers 15, it tells the Children of Israel to give of their first fruits to the Lord of all the harvest and of the flock. Although we are no longer bound by the Old Testament should we still give to the Lord our first fruits. I say yes! For the act of giving to the Lord was never an act because the Lord needed the harvest or the flock. Do I really think God is holding his breathing waiting for me to give of my tithe, or a portion of my labor because if I don't his church will go broke. Absolutely Not! My God who spoke the universe into existence has the power to provide for the needs of the church, the needs of his people and even my needs. So why then does He command this?

He commanded the Children of Israel because it was a form of worship. When the Children of Israel saw the bountifulness of their harvest, or their flock it reminded them of who was the real provider of it. God! God has always been and will always be the main provider of our needs. He also is the giver of our lives and health in order to give us the energy to provide the labor of our hard work. On August 23rd and 24th, I held a two-day seminar for youth 12-18years old, on "What is Truth?". This had been a calling on my life over 2 years ago. I took me nine months just to research and write the material. Then it took another 6 months to present it to a Church that saw the need for the message to be presented to teens. Then it took time to plan the event for the date that had been set. I put so much time and effort into this event, yet there were many times I didn't know what to expect or if any fruit would come about.

A week before the event I was getting really nervous because one of my community sponsors completely back out and never even advertised the event as they promised back in June. Other sponsors were just hard to get ahold of, and one was unable to make the event. Also, the ticket sells were really slow. I thought they would have been so much more based on how many people were saying they were coming. Yet the day of the event we only had 42 attendees. I have to admit I was saddened that all the hard work I put into this didn't produce more paid attendees. I however, put all my energy into this message and tried to give the ones that attended a great message that God wanted me to share with them. The second day I saw the fruit of my labor. We had a cookout for lunch and many of the students and parents came up to me and voiced how much they enjoyed the event. Some shared with me the take aways they had so far. One young lady shared that her friend was thinking about transitioning, and although she knew it was wrong, she didn't know what to tell her, and now she did. Another teen said he never knew love was an action and not an emotion. Another said she now learned what it meant to love her enemy. A parent said they knew the Bible said but never knew how to teach it to their child, and the points I gave empowered her to help teach her children what truth is. Another parent said he never realized he only knew the what we believed and never realized he lacked the why. After the last session, we had a Q&A and a time to share what they learned. I had three come up and shared what they learned. I was most surprised at an 11-year-old. For I thought that the material would be to advance for that age, but he spoke so eloquently, that I knew he was listening to every word I spoke. I could see the Holy Spirit upon this young man. His words were so encouraging that he needed this message, and it gave him confidence to be bold in his faith, and how to defend his beliefs.

It was at that moment I realized that my level of success if not God's. I was not called to be success in my labor, but to be obedient. I in fact was obedient, and God called each person that needed to be there.

Psalm 128:1-2 states.

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,

Who walks in His ways.

When you eat the labor of your hands,

You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.

I went into this calling with fear/reverence to the Lord. Telling Him that His will be done. Who am I to question the results of the Lord, when I know I gave my all to Him. I am happy with the fruit of my labor, for it is the Lord that provides all things that allows us to labor for His will. I encourage you to be happy and rejoice that the Lord has provided you with health, skill, knowledge, an outlet to labor in, and I encourage you to return the fruits of your labor to the Lord, for it is a form of worship. All good things belong to Him and Him alone. I hope you all have a blessed day, and don't forget the One who deserves the glory.

Vedel Hoey